Sunday Thoughts: For the Pirates, It's not the losses, it's the way they've lost
Pirates have found a way to make 2-7 a lot worst than it is
Rough starts happen. Sometimes there is nothing that you can do about it. In most cases, panicking nine games into a 162-game schedule would be an extreme overreaction.
However, the 2-7 that the Pittsburgh Pirates are currently sitting at already looks like a hole a little too deep for them to dig out of.
Nine games into the season, the Pirates haven’t had much that has gone right, and what has gone right, they usually get in their own way to cancel it out.
Paul Skenes with a strong opening day start? The bullpen blows a late lead.
The team leads the majors in stolen bases? They’ve struggled to capitalize on runners in scoring position.
With the team built around its pitching staff, the defense has committed among the most errors in baseball.
This team just can’t seem to get out of its own way, and there are still over 150 games left in the season.
It’d be one thing to lose some games within a short span and be competitive in them, and maybe a blown call or close play being the difference in a few of them.
These games are becoming more uncompetitive, and when they are close, it’s usually self-sabotage that’s the difference.
When looking at the first nine games, a few things stand out specifically.
What the front office does next will be important. Six years into Ben Cherington’s tenure as General Manager, and barring some sort of spark, it’s quickly looking like another losing season.
Where does that come from? Do they pull a trigger on some sort of trade? A call-up of someone like Bubba Chandler to get some excitement?
Or even a dismissal of Derek Shelton, the only manager that Cherington has had under his tenure?
Usually, it’d be too early to be talking about this kind of stuff, but this is a different type of losing.
Some other random quick hits:
I get that Andrew McCutchen probably can’t physically play in the field much anymore, but at this point, you have to figure out a way to get him in the lineup more than what is being done.
Even at 38, he’s still been one of their better hitters. After starting in right field on Friday and picking up three hits, he was right back on the bench.
I get Bryan Reynolds isn’t at 100% and needs to be DH right now, but it lacks creativity to not be able to get the guy who is one of your best hitters in the lineup.
It’s also not like Reynolds is lighting it up right now, and maybe a complete day off could be just what he needs?
I feel like the only difference between Colin Holderman and David Bednar is that the latter has been struggling when the game matters the most, the ninth inning.
Holderman has had some rough moments this year as well, in high-leverage situations too.
At this point, if you are not sending Holderman down (I get it if you feel you don’t have any other options), the game can’t be close when he’s coming in. You have to look elsewhere.
Oneil Cruz is looking so much better at the plate. Working counts. Taking walks. And it hasn’t cost him any of his power.
I feel confident in Reynolds getting back to his career norm, but the Pirates are in desperate need of anyone to fill that void behind Cruz in the lineup.
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Goldschmidt is age 37.5, has played in 8 games at 1B, and hit lead-off and clean-up in the 2 games vs Pirates, going 5 - 9 at the plate. You don't see Boone baby-sitting his playing time EVEN in blowout games no substitution. Let your best player(s) get into the rhythm of the season. Goldy has 32 plate appearances and plays in the field every game. Cutch has 18 plate appearances and is DH all but one game. Shelty ball. EDIT: Why not sit Pham, play Cutch a few games in RF?
looking forward to seeing Jason Kendall suit up as manager in the next few weeks